The London Season – June Events – Regency Fiction Writers

Tom and Jerry at Vauxhall. — From Pierce Egan’s Life in London, with Tom & Jerry at Vauxhall Gardens. Click image to enlarge.

By June, the London season was—and still is—in high gear, with the Epsom Derby being run and Royal Ascot races, exhibitions of art at the Royal Academy, cricket matches and garden parties, commencement at Eton when families might visit the boys for speeches and a boat race, Venetian breakfasts, balls, trips to Vauxhall gardens, picnics, the opera and theater, Trooping the Color and of course the official celebration of the monarch’s birthday.

While Trooping the Color—the monarch’s review of the troops—dates back to Charles II and the 1600s, in 1748, the decision was made to use this event to also mark the Sovereign’s “official” birthday. In 1760, during George III’s reign, a proclamation came out making this an annual event—the weather was most likely to be kind in June. This means it doesn’t really matter when the king or queen is born—the official birthday celebration is in June.

George III had been born on 4 June, 1738—thus starting the tradition—and he celebrated seventy years of age in 1808. The Morning Post reported in its June 6 edition of that year that: “The morning was, as usual, ushered in with the ringing of bells, at noon the Park and Tower guns were fired, the ships in the Thames displayed their colours, and the flags and standards of the United Kingdom were hoisted on the different churches and public buildings. The streets in the neighbourhood of the Palace were crowded to an excess, and the windows in St James’s Street in particular, exhibited a display of beauty and splendour rarely to be witnessed in any country. At two o’clock the Prince of Wales and his Suite, in three carriages, and servants in state liveries, dress hats and feathers, proceeded from Carlton House to the Drawing Room, and entered by the private door in the Park. His Royal Highness was attended by the Duke of Clarence, Lords Keith and Dundas, Generals Lee and Hulse, and Colonels McMahon, Lee and Bloomfield.”

The Prince Regent’s grand celebration on June 19, 1811 was set to mark the start of his regency and the King’s birthday and honor exiled French royalty. The date had been pushed back twice due to the King’s poor health—his madness—but finally was held at Carlton House. The Times reported in its June 21 edition that: “The ball-room floors were chalked in beautiful arabesque devices. In the centre of the largest were the initials G.III.R. It was divided for two sets of dancers by a crimson silk cord. One of the windows being taken out, had in the recess an orchestra, which diffused its melodies throughout the apartments. The anti-room adjoining was also set apart for dancing, the doors of which being kept open, one band in the drawing-room was sufficient for both. The floor of this room was very neatly ornamented; in the centre was the Prince Regent’s crest (the feathers) in various colours, surrounded by musical notes, musical instruments, particularly those used in dancing, and various other devices; but owing to the great number of persons, and the excessive heat of the weather, no dancing took place in this room, nor were the dancers numerous in the ball-room.”

The Morning Post in its June 22 edition noted: “About ten o’clock, dancing commenced in the Council Chamber; Mr Gow’s excellent Band attended for the purpose. From the crowded state of the room, however, dancing was shortly discontinued, contrary to the wishes of the Prince, who used every exertion to set it on foot again; there was only one dance more during the remainder of the evening; the company appearing to prefer the promenading from one room to another, and gazing on the dazzling brilliancy which shone throughout this superb palace.”

That year, the troops were reviewed in Hyde Park on June 20 by the Prince Regent, the Duke of York, the King of Prussia, the Czar and Generals Blucher, Lord Beresford and Hill, and then at eight in the evening, a re-enactment of the battle of Trafalgar was held in the park on the Serpentine with model ships three feet long. The French ships were sunk as the National Anthem was played.

On June 28, Wellington was formally welcomed at Buckingham House by the Queen, and on July 1, a great ball was held in the Duke’s honor at Burlington House by White’s Club. It cost £10,000 and amongst the 1,700 guests was Jane Austen’s brother Henry.

On June 5 in 1813, the Morning Chronicle carried an advertisement for Lord Byon’s The Giaour.

1814 was a year for great celebrations due to the abdication of Napoleon, and on June 12 it was reported that more than 150,000 people came to witness some of the celebrations. Celebrations would again be held in June of 1815, for it was on June 16 that Waterloo produced the final defeat of Napoleon.

Of course, not all June events were worth celebrations. In June of 1812, the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain began, and Napoleon also invaded Russia. And the month of June recorded some of the biggest battles of the Peninsular War, including Vittoria on June 21, after which the plundering of the city prompted Wellington to write that his arm had “the scum of the earth” in it.

For most in the Regency era, however, June was a month to enjoy, and then after Parliament was let out in July it was time to head to county estates—if you had time—to escape London’s heat and the stench from the Thames river.

Article by Shannon Donnelly for The Quizzing Glass blog and The Regency Reader.

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